Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
"Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes" is a poem by American poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.[1] The poem is studied by English school children as part of the GCSE AQA Anthology.
Description
The poem describes four people stuck at traffic lights in downtown San Francisco - two are garbage collectors and two are an elegant couple in a Mercedes. The poem is about the contrast between these people and the gap that is developing between the rich and poor even in the USA which is meant to be a 'democracy'.[1][2] The description of the couple as "Beautiful People" is perhaps ironic as the term was first used to describe those had held countercultural ideals during the 1960s.[2] The poem questions whether America can be called a democracy given the disparities in wealth between those, rich and poor.[2]
References
- 1 2 "GCSE Bitesize - Lawrence Ferlinghetti: Two Scavengers in a Truck". BBC. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
- 1 2 3 Andrew Moore. "Different Cultures-AQA Anthology for GCSE". Teachit.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-08-20.